The end of one year and the start of another is synonymous with letting go of habits and feelings from the past year that did not suit us, and the promise of introducing new ones the next year that finally will. While this timeframe is a great marker for personal growth, if you are having thoughts about wanting to improve your quality of life, avoid putting so much mental and emotional weight into resolutions so you don’t unintentionally self-sabotage them. Goal setting is a process. Identifying the need for change, deciding to create that change, and then coming up with a secondary plan to maintain it is a challenge in itself. One slip up can cause you to feel like throwing in the towel on your whole plan, but the key is to use that as a lesson and keep moving forward.
Health and Fitness
The world of health and fitness is trending so much right now. In-person, online, apps, it is everywhere. This is great news if these are areas that you want to focus on and breathe some new life into. The best part about it is that since the niche is so large, there is truly something for everyone. One delusion about the subject of change, is that is must be significant in size to impactful. Especially regarding health and fitness this can be discouraging, however change can be experienced through even the slightest of shifts. Looking towards technology to assist you with change can be smart because the research was already completed, so there is no need to spend your time to discover what is new and trendy and now you simply get to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
A recent addition to the scope of what is new and trendy with fitness equipment are eBikes. These motor operated bicycles can be used to upgrade your fitness game both physically and mentally. From a physical standpoint, they will give you a new way to enjoy the outdoors. The motorized aspect gives potential for taking longer rides than you might with your traditional bike, not to mention the speed that you can enjoy the trails at is likely faster than what you could experience with only body power.
With eBikes, they offer opportunities that traditional bicycles simply cannot compete with. The wide tires facilitate the opportunity to ride on all terrains with less likelihood of catching a flat. In terms of mental fitness, eBikes create an ease on two wheels that allows you to enjoy your surroundings without having to put as much emphasis on the aspect of physical exertion. Perhaps this is the time that you catch up on podcasts, make a phone call to a friend, or simply use your time as a meditational opportunity.
Financial Considerations
Money is always a top reason when thinking about what causes stress, and areas of life that people wish to seek change. The relationship between you and your finances is personal and longstanding. Changes in your financial health will not happen overnight, but if this is a true goal, waiting out the process will be worth it. Debt is typically an area that people want to work towards eliminating, so waiting until year-end to re-evaluate your budget could end up putting you further away from that goal.
If the motivation hits you at any time to revamp your budget and see where you can make changes to support your overall goals, then strike while the iron is hot. Perhaps you have a savings goal in mind that is in a specific timeline, like a down payment for a house for example, and your rental lease is up in 6 months. You should not feel pigeonholed into waiting for January 1st to roll around to get the wheels in motion on these plans. Tracking your spending and figuring out a plan that feels comfortable, yet aggressive enough to get you to the finish line, may take time anyways, so the sooner you start the better.
Being Accountable
Resolutions can have an adverse effect on some, as the accountability does not really lend itself to any true motivation. You will find more success creating motivation for your own reasons, beyond simply a date, and by being accountable to yourself in terms of your goals. There has to be a personally motivating reason at the end of the sentence “I am doing this because…” If you set out to make change based off someone, or some other intention you are not setting yourself up for the highest level of success.
